New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees says he never thought Brett Favre wouldn't play this year

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New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees says he never thought Brett Favre wouldn't play this year

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; When Brett Favre apparently returned to the NFL fold and flew to the Minnesota Vikings training camp Tuesday, few were more pleased than the league's marketing executives. After all, with Favre and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the league ...

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees says he never thought Brett Favre wouldn't play this year

When Brett Favre apparently returned to the NFL fold and flew to the Minnesota Vikings training camp Tuesday, few were more pleased than the league's marketing executives. After all, with Favre and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the league has two of its marquee players going head to head in the season opener Sept. 9.

But don't include Brees among those who think the game just got more exciting. Brees said after practice Wednesday that he never considered the possibility that Favre would not play and thus the game has not assumed any heightened interest on his part.

In essence, Brees said he always took Favre at his word - that money and fame had nothing to do with his decision and it rested instead entirely on the health of his surgically repaired ankle. It's no secret Favre loves playing football and is a proven gamer, Brees said, and consequently Brees considered it a sure thing Favre would play if he thought he could.
Brees also brushed aside any allegations the Saints unfairly targeted Favre in last year's NFC Championship game that the Saints won in overtime to go to Super Bowl XLIV. There were hard shots taken at Favre and unfortunately he hurt his ankle, but Brees said he saw nothing cheap in the repeated blows, just no holds barred football.

It's true, Brees conceded, that the Saints delivered a physical message to Favre. But it's also true, he said, that the same message would have been sent to him if the Vikings had been able to. After all, coaches don't encourage players to go easy on opposing quarterbacks.

Yet Brees also made it clear he doesn't think the Vikings will seek revenge against him personally on Sept. 9. Getting smashed from time to time is part of a quarterback's job description, but Brees noted any deliberate or cheap shot on a signal caller is stupid because it might result in a fine and, more immediately, will result, "in a penalty and that hurts your team."